Latin2atRHS - Sample

Aeneas

Aeneas carrying father Anchises, Attic black-figure oinochoe, ca. 520-510 BC

Biographical Data

Born:	1270 BC, Troy, Asia Minor
Died:	1150 BC, Lavinium, Italy
Father:	Anchises, Trojan citizen
Mother:	Aphrodite, Goddess
Children:	Son, Ascanius, aka Iulus
Spouse:	First Marriage: Creusa, Trojan princess, died 1184 BC Second Marriage: Dido, Queen of Carthage, died 1170 BC Third Marriage: Lavinia, Latin princess
Occupation:	Soldier, explorer, founder of Roman race

Important life events

Aeneas escapes Troy with family, Federico Barocci, 1598

Fought in Trojan War as Hector's lieutenant (Iliad XX)
Escaped with family, household gods, and companions during fall of Troy in 1184 BC (Aeneid 2)
Sailed on quest to found new race (Aeneid 1-6)
Spent a year in Carthage leading to suicide of Queen Dido (Aeneid 4)
Sailed to Italy and visited underworld, received fortelling of future power, Rome (Aeneid 6)
Fought series of wars against Latins and Rutulians which he won (Aeneid 7-12)
Married Latin princess Lavinia and founded new town, Lavinium (Livy p. 36)
Was deified upon death (Livy p. 36)

Significance

Roman relief: Aeneas & family & household gods

Founder of Roman race - descendents of Trojans and Latins became the Roman people
Provided divine origin for Roman people
Gave the Romans an origin story to compare with the Greeks
His life was the basis for the Aeneid, the most important work of Latin literature on a par with the Iliad and Odyssey for the Greeks
National hero

Lavinium

Location in Italy of Lavinio, site of ancient Lavinium, founded by Aeneas

Did You Know?

Aeneas' father was crippled by Zeus for bragging while he was drunk that he slept with a goddess
It is chronologically impossible for Aeneas and Dido to have met - they lived centuries apart
Aeneas was only one of a few heroes to visit the underworld (Hercules, Orpheus, Theseus, Odysseus)
Aeneas is called pius by Vergil for demonstrating loyalty to the gods (obeying Jupiter's orders, bringing household gods out of Troy), his family (bringing son, father, and wife out of Troy) and to country (defending Troy while he could, then founding new country)
In Dante's Inferno, he sees the ghost of Aeneas in Limbo, in an area reserved for "virtuous pagans"
He is the subject of an opera Dido and Aeneas by the English composer Henry Purcell in the 17th century

Sample - Aeneas